On October 28, KAIST held the “KAIST-NYU Digital Governance Forum” at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. This forum is the first official public event since the unveiling of the KAIST-NYU joint campus signboard delivery ceremony in New York on September 26. This forum was promoted based on the consensus of the two universities to solve global challenges and seek new governance in the wake of digital transformation.

Digital innovation technology is expected to be accompanied by political, social, and ethical risks, such as the accelerating digital gap that arises with economic and industrial benefits. In particular, in the era of global digital transformation, competition over digital and AI hegemony based on technological nationalism calls for a global governance system where digital innovation and the value of freedom coexist. Through this forum, KAIST will work with NYU to shape its vision for future digital cooperation that encompasses various stakeholders in society. In the forum, KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee participated as a keynote speaker while NYU President Andrew Hamilton delivered a video speech. 

Many speakers from various fields and organizations also gave insightful presentations. NYU Professor Matthew Liao, a world-renowned scholar in science and technology ethics, proposed a normative system that can harmonize technology and social ethics by explaining various ethical issues caused by the development of artificial intelligence. Jason Allford, director of the World Bank Group’s Korean office, summarized the changing role of the government in the digital era from the perspective of transparency and government efficiency. In addition, he explained global development strategies through case studies of digital innovation by international organizations.

Professor Kyung Ryul Park from the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy emphasized that the core of new digital governance is not only innovative technology, but also the participation and harmony of various domestic and foreign stakeholders. Through this, he plans to raise the importance of three-dimensional international solidarity based on digital transformation beyond flat “technology geopolitics”. So Young Kim, head of the Korea Policy Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (KPC4IR), discussed the current government’s digital platform strategy under the theme of “Digital Platform Government and Governance” and emphasized the need for a leading digital transformation strategy beyond existing government governance. 

NYU President Hamilton said, “NYU’s long traditional international cooperation is based on free movement of people and ideas, and NYU is looking forward to a partnership with KAIST.” He is certain that  data-driven software, AI, and social networks will lead to new and promising insights.

KAIST President Lee commented, “It is meaningful to work with NYU to gauge the changes in the new era at a time when digital technology, government platforms, and public data are drawing attention as a medium that can create various social and economic values.” He believes that this joint forum will be a good opportunity to envision the future of cooperative governance between governments, companies, civil society, academia, and international organizations. The “KAIST-NYU Digital Governance Forum” can be re-watched from the official YouTube channel of KAIST.